


you and the road have a generous shoulder

by alilyinhighgarden



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Angst, Kayfabe Compliant, M/M, Post- 10/22/18 RAW
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-19 02:03:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16525169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alilyinhighgarden/pseuds/alilyinhighgarden
Summary: They had been driving for ten minutes before Seth asked, “Where are we going?” His voice sounded a bit more stable than it had, as if leaving the scene of the annihilation had already given him a bit more strength.“Honestly,” Finn afforded him a quick glance and shrugged, “I have no clue. I don’t have a hotel in the city tonight and I figured you wouldn’t want to be around people so…” He looked back to the highway he had turned on once they got near the edge of the city, “we’re just gonna drive and see where we end up.”Takes place after the 10/22/18 episode of RAW





	you and the road have a generous shoulder

In his two years on RAW Finn could never recall an evening so solemn or so shocking. The way the backstage area fell eerily silent when Seth limped from the arena not saying a word nor making eye contact with anyone. When he disappeared into the locker room a few people looked at each other, helplessness evident in their eyes. Finn’s sure his own eyes shared that same emotion as he leaned against the wall and stared at the door that had swung closed behind Seth, opting to give the man a few minutes of time with his own thoughts and no audience before he interrupted.

Stepping into the locker room Finn’s gaze immediately fell on Seth sitting on a bench, an obscene pile of belts and a hastily discarded vest beside him. His head was ducked and his hair was wild and his shoulders were hunched. Finn could not help but think that he looked incredibly small. He had not realized Seth could look small.

Finn took a seat next to him but did not say anything. Partially because it seemed like the right thing, partially because he had no idea _what_ to say. ‘ _How are yous’_ and ‘ _are you okays’_ were foolish. The answers to those questions had to be summed up with one simple syllable. Actions seemed like the better starting point than words so Finn reached out and placed his hand on his shoulder. Seth’s entire body seemed to tremor, a physical manifestation of the man’s world as he knew it being cleaved apart within the span of a few hours. Finn added pressure to his touch hoping it would help ground him.

“I should go find him,” Seth croaked out, his throat sounded so raw that Finn wondered if the words physically hurt. After the beat down he took Finn was not sure Seth would even notice that additional pain.

“Give him some space. It’s been a heavy night.” Truthfully he did not _know_ if space was what Dean needed. He did not really know Ambrose at all but he knew Seth. And he knew that Seth was willing to take however many beatings he needed to in order to keep those he loved close. That did not mean he should _have_ to. Especially on a night that his head had been driven into the concrete floor. So even if Ambrose did need Seth by his side this evening, Finn could not bring himself to give a damn.  

“If I don’t go after him I-” Instead of answering Seth twisted each of his fingers, being rewarded with a few pops, before he rubbed his hands down his face. “Then I’m just going back to the hotel.” And from the defeat in his words it was clear that was the last thing he wanted. Finn was not sure if it was because he was scared of running into Dean, or maybe he was scared of _not_ running into him. Maybe he feared stepping into an empty hotel room and be slapped with a confirmation that his brotherhood had been ripped from him in a single night. That he was alone. But that last part, _that_ was not true.

Finn stood up and Seth’s eyes snapped up to him for the first time, what he saw in them broke his heart. In that deep brown he could see fear that another person was walking away from him this evening. Instead he grabbed the bag he knew Seth kept his toiletries in and plopped it onto his lap. “Go get cleaned up,” he instructed, pointing to the room with the showers, “Then we’re going for a drive.” Seth’s mouth hung open and he looked like he was struggling with how to react. “I’m not taking no for an answer so the sooner you get yourself looking pretty again the sooner we’re out of here.”

At that Seth’s lip quirked, barely, but enough to make Finn feel like he had made the right move. “Okay.” He stood up slower than usual, obviously feeling sore. “I’ll make it quick.”

Finn gave him a dismissive wave and sat back down, “Take however long you need. I’ll be here.”

 

* * *

 

They had been driving for ten minutes before Seth asked, “Where are we going?” His voice sounded a bit more stable than it had, as if leaving the scene of the annihilation had already given him a bit more strength.

“Honestly,” Finn afforded him a quick glance and shrugged, “I have no clue. I don’t have a hotel in the city tonight and I figured you wouldn’t want to be around people so…” He looked back to the highway he had turned on once they got near the edge of the city, “we’re just gonna drive and see where we end up.”

Some other night Seth would have laughed at him and told him this was a terrible idea. Asked him how much gas was in the tank. Accused him of getting them stranded in the middle of nowhere. But this was not some other night so Seth just said, “Okay,” and looked out the passenger window.

When the classic rock radio station he had let play went to ads after a ‘deluxe block of commercial free classic rock hits’ Finn reached out to search for another station but his motion halted as his gaze caught Seth’s hand resting on his leg and clearly shaking. On impulse Finn abandoned his attempt to shut up the used car salesmen yelling at him and instead covered Seth’s hand with his own. When he did Finn felt more than heard Seth take in a deep breathe and let it out.

Eventually during the monotony of the highway Finn spotted a sign for a rest stop and pulled in, sliding the car into park but leaving the engine running. Angling his body he looked over at Seth with an eye toward observation for the first time since pulling out of the parking lot. He was still looking out the window worrying at his bottom lip. Finn was not even sure Seth realized they had stopped.

Finn did not say anything. Words still did not feel appropriate. But he did turn Seth’s hand over so he could thread their fingers together and squeeze. Trying to provide a physical reassurance that maybe could make up for his failure to know what to possibly say. That tiny bit of pressure seemed to be enough to bust whatever emotional dam Seth had taken cover behind. In an instant he collapsed in on himself, free hand covering his eyes, and his shoulders bouncing up and down with heaving cries.

Finn readjusted in his seat so he could move closer and wrapped his arm around Seth, running his hand along his back. He was not sure if it was the right move until Seth turned fully into him, burying his face in the crook of Finn’s neck. As tears that were not his own pooled on his skin Finn thought for the first time that he would like to beat the shit out of Dean Ambrose. It is not that Finn did not know betrayal from both sides, but he could not understand how Ambrose could have done what he did tonight. Watching him pull up that mat, exposing the concrete, from the monitor backstage was one of the most stomach churning choices he had seen in some time.    

The song coming out the speakers transitioned to another, and another, and another. And as they passed the sobs wracking Seth’s body subsided until they were sitting, both completely still, Seth pressed up against him. “This fucking sucks,” he sighed into Finn’s skin.

“Yeah, it does,” Finn confirmed because it did. No matter what angle you looked at it the situation he now had to face was a terrible one. He reached up and ran his fingers through the  mess that Seth’s hair had become. 

“I just don’t understand why. What I did- Especially after-” He seemed unable to actually put to words anything past why. It made sense considering anything past why, any explanation, seemed wrong. 

“I know.”

Seth sat up and wiped the remaining tears from his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Finn looked over at him confused. “What’dyou have to be sorry for?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be headed to Newark right now?” He pulled his hair out of it’s ponytail and slid the elastic around his wrist, obviously not worried about putting it back up at the moment. “Instead it’s late and you’re here with my sorry ass.”

“Don’t you dare say rude things about your ass.” That earned him a snort from Seth and considering everything it felt as good as a hard fought victory.

“Seriously dude. You worked tonight, you should be headed toward a hotel with a comfortable bed.”

Sure he _should_ be on the road and headed the few hours to the promise of a hotel. However, a bit of weariness did not matter. At the moment the only thing that mattered was Seth.  “Eh, I won,” Finn smiled, “that’ll help keep me awake on the drive.”

“Yeah,” Seth muttered, “I did too”

And that’s all it took for the mood that had elevated for a brief and glimmering moment to dip back down.

“It’ll hurt less. Eventually,” Finn said and reached out and cupped Seth’s cheek.

Even in the poor illumination from the rest stop lamps he could see sadness, confusion, anger, and at least four other heartbreaking emotions in those large doe eyes. “I need it to hurt less _now_ .” At that those same eyes seemed to search Finn’s face desperately for _something_. Before Finn could wonder what, Seth rested his hands against Finn’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

It took a moment for Finn’s brain to catch up with what was actually happening and respond in kind. Once it did he was able to focus on the moment. On the feel of Seth’s fingers ghosting across his pulse point or the texture of the hair his own hand had slid into. Or the fact that Seth’s lips tasted like salt, the remnants of the tears that he had cried dried into the crevices of soft flesh.

As much as Finn had thought about kissing Seth, and over the past eight months that had been quite a lot, it was never like this. On a night when everything seemed in free fall. In those daydreams it was thrilling and satisfying. It was never an act born out of a desperate need to escape sadness. His lips alone may have felt good but this whole situation felt wrong. Finn broke away before his thoughts could spiral more.

For a moment all Finn could hear was his heart pounding in his ears. He knew he should say something, explain why he stopped, but it was hard to come up with words that would not hurt. Fortunately he was saved from being the one to break the silence.

“I- fuck- this isn’t a good idea,” Seth voice was was barely a whisper but with his forehead resting against Finn’s he did not need to be loud.

Finn’s thumb ran along his jawline. “Definitely not a good idea. Not tonight. Emotions running high and all.”

“Some other time though,” Seth said and reached up to grab Finn’s hand. “When all of this doesn’t feel so miserable.”  

“Yeah, some other time,” he nodded with the thought that he should not hold Seth to any promises made tonight but, god, he wants to.  

They stayed like that for a few minutes, forehead to forehead, breathing in each others air, both grief and guarantee pulsing in the space between them.  

“Okay,” Seth sighed and shifted back in his seat, “Take me back to my hotel.”

Finn’s hand was already rested on the gear shift but he looked to Seth once more for confirmation, “You sure?”

“Yeah,” Seth nodded while pulling his hair up into a more presentable ponytail than he had achieved earlier. “We can’t stay in this car forever. Plus everything hurts and a bed would be nice.”  

“Back to reality then,” Finn confirmed and shifted the car into reverse.

He was startled by the feel of a large, warm hand suddenly resting on his forearm. "Yeah." Following the arm up he realized Seth had gone back to staring out the window. "Reality.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this since that episode of RAW but my sadness over Dean and Seth made it hard to focus on writing. So here, have this a couple weeks later than I intended. 
> 
> Also, I tried to reflect in Finn's POV someone who is taking Seth's side unquestionably because he doesn't know Dean. As a viewer I love the character of Dean Ambrose and see this situation as complex at best. But a character for whom has seen someone they care about get attacked, they wouldn't at least that night be giving someone the benefit of the doubt. So if anywhere this seems harsh toward Dean please know that I'm not trying to villainize him here. 
> 
> Title from "Long Drive" by Jason Mraz.


End file.
